We decided today that for Easter we wanted a reasonably-priced meal that all 4 of us (2 teenage kids, 2 adults) could eat and enjoy as a special treat.

We went to Pavilions (in CA) and purchased 4 1.5-lb bone-in pork chops for $24. We bought a bag of apples for $5, a liter of Martenilli's apple juice for $6, 2 heads of cauliflower for $8, a loaf of fresh deli bread for $4 and 2 lemons for a couple bucks. We already had Italian bread crumbs, butter, garlic, eggs and flour.

For the net cost of around $45, we were able to craft (in my biased opinion) an amazing dish of breaded (1.5 inch thick), moist and super flavorful pan-seared then oven-cooked pork chops, homemade applesauce, baked then lemon-drenched (tajin and olive-oil prepped) cauliflower and garlic bread.

The kids liked it, we loved it, and everyone cleaned their plates. My point, I guess, is that It's still possible to have an amazing, filling meal (with leftovers!) for a not-so-crazy price (in my opinion).

Here's the pork recipe we used. Total prep time including the homemade applesauce was less than 2 hours!

• 4 boneless pork chops 1-inch thick
• 1 egg whisked
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or as needed

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a shallow bowl combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and salt and black pepper.
• Season flour on a shallow plate with salt to taste. In another shallow bowl add the whisked egg.
• Dab the pork chops dry with a paper towel and lightly dredge in flour. Dip the pork chop into the egg, making sure to coat all sides. Dip the pork chop into the bread crumb mixture.
• Heat olive oil In a frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown pork chops for 1 minute per side.
• Add to the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 12-14 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 145°F. Do not overbake.
• Rest 5 minutes before serving.

Happy Easter!

From the article:

>Pam Bondi is out of the Trump administration—and some insiders believe the underlying reason is due to an odd connection to California Representative Eric Swalwell.

>Donald Trump fired Bondi Thursday, thrusting her out of government altogether and into the private sector. Her dismissal was reportedly supposed to occur Friday, but was rushed due to rampant speculation about her replacement that consumed Washington Wednesday night.

>An unidentified senior administration source that spoke with the Daily Mail Thursday claimed that Bondi begged Trump to reconsider, pleading to give her more time in the role, but Trump was adamant about her departure.

>“She was unhappy and tried to change his mind,” the Mail’s source said.

>It was widely believed that one of Trump’s chief complaints with Bondi was her handling of the Epstein files, which remains one of the president’s most enduring scandals. But the source that spoke with Mail pointed in a different direction, positing that the sudden dismissal was in no small part because Trump believed Bondi had previously tipped Swalwell off over the FBI’s efforts to publicize decades-old files related to the lawmaker’s former relationship with a suspected Chinese spy, Christine Fang.

>“She’s intervening in those matters. The White House wasn’t pleased she was intervening due to her personal friendship with Swalwell,” the source told the Mail.